COMPUTER SYSTEMS RESEARCH
Research Reading and Writing Your Paper, 2007-2008

Example research papers from various areas of study
also check the Digital Library from portal.acm.org

  • Helpful tips on good technical writing

    Compare the writing of your own paper and the example paper you've picked to study.

    I'm using the paper Control of Complex, Physically Simulated Robot Groups from UVa Graphics Group papers as an example model research paper. Choose your own example research paper(s) as a model for your own writing and research.

    1. For the paper I've chosen, the Abstract can be summarized as:
      • Motivation for the paper: Coordinated groups of actual robots are providing means to accomplish complex tasks, adapt to changing environments, and survive individual failures. In this paper, groups of computer simulated robots are used. Computer simulation introduces the concern about computationally intensive algorithms. This paper investigates heuristics, search strategies, and other optimization techniques that can be found for computer simulated motion. 

       
   Title of the example paper you're using: _________________________________________

   Summary of the abstract of this paper you've chosen as a model (two or three sentences):
      Title of your own paper: ___________________________________________________

      Your abstract:

    2. Next study how the author in the paper you've chosen writes the Introduction and Background sections.
      • Introduction of the example paper I've chosen (see link above):
        • Characters in a virtual environment must have a variety of complex behaviors. This paper is investigating dynamic simulation to generate motion.
        • Methods for achieving animation are keyframing, motion capture, or dynamic simulation. 
               In the introduction, the author of the example paper expands on the theme of his paper.  
     He introduces terms that for the subject of his paper: animated characters, motion - 
     keyframing, motion capture, and dynamic simulation.
          Highlight terms and concepts central to your own paper. Summarize what you are writing about in your own Introduction and Background sections.

    3. Study how the author in the paper you've chosen writes the Development section(s) - the sections dealing with the actual work and research done for the project.

      • For example, the Development section(s) for the Bicycle Simulation Locomotion Controller in my example paper are:
        • Three components to the bicyclists: physical simulation, locomotion controller, and navigation controller.
        • The physical simulation is defined by equations of motion. The author formulates these using a commercially available package.
        • The locomotion controller computes how to actuate the joints to move at a specified velocity.
        • The human riders are modeled by a 15-segment model and rotary joints with 22 degrees of freedom.
        • Volume, mass, center of mass, moments of inertia, and distance between the joints are calculated from a polygonal representation of the human body.
        • The navigation controller adjusts the facing direction and speed of the bicycle. The simulated human rider controls the facing direction and speed of the bicycle by applying forces to the handlebars with the hands and to the pedals with the feet.
        • The first formula seen is for torque.
        • The Navigation Controller, which specifies a character's desired velocity.
        • Aspects of the human and alien bicyclists having dissimilar mobility constraints
        • This program develops a perception algorithm, also the concept of herding
        • Table 1 shows simulated annealing experiment data.

      • Highlight the concepts you are developing in your own project.

        • Summarize the themes, terms, and concepts that you are developing in your paper. How are you testing these for verification of success or non-success? You can paste in the text to your development section.

    4. Study the Results the author has reached in the paper you've selected, and what the author looks forward to in future work.

      • Discuss in some detail results you may use in your paper. Highlight what the discussion of your results may cover. Tie this into any types of testing you are doing and how you are analyzing results of your testing. You can paste in any results you may currently have.